Phoenix Rising
by JA Baker
Summary: Legends never die: The life and times of Aidan Pryde after Tukayyid.
1. The feild of war

Phoenix Rising  
  
I don't know why I've decided to finely sit down and type out this story; I've been going over it in my head for mouths now. It probably has absolutely no baring on the accepted events of the BattleTech universe, but I just can stop think about what happed in Exodus road, and wondering what else ComStar was up to back then. *********************************************************************  
  
Clan Jade Falcon landing zone, Prezno Plain, Tukayyid, Free Rasalhague Republic,  
  
He'd been unconscious for many hours when the salvage team found him. Using heavy cutting equipment, they cut the remains of his Mech's cockpit from around his badly burned body. Carefully, perhaps even more so then his own people would have, they pulled the warrior from his command-couch.  
  
The med-tech overseeing the operation took a moment to look at the surrounding terrain: over a dozen Mech's had fallen to the warrior they where trying to save. Who ever he was, he was one hell of a Mech-Jock.  
  
ComStar emergency medical-centre, Prezno Plain, Tukayyid, Free Rasalhague Republic,  
  
The Med-Techs cutaway the still unconscious warriors uniform. Medical sensors where attached to his chest and arms. Blood samples where taken and cross-matched with units from the blood bank. Painkillers where administered to relive what pain he must have been felling.  
  
The doctor in charge of the treatment turned to the med-tech who had brought his patient in "Is this him, the one everyone has been talking about?" The med-tech nodded "It's him. We cut him out of his Mad Cat, sorry, Timber Wolf, less than an hour ago. You should have seen the carnage he inflicted. Over a dozen Mech's ever killed or disabled, another dozen damaged. They say a lucky his from a SRM launcher knocked him out." The doctor checked the MechWarriors pulse "He'll live."  
  
"You think their send him back to his Clan?" Asked the med-tech. The doctor shook his head "No, the orders say to send this one to ROM for questioning. Their send back a DNA sample and tell the Falcons he died." The doctor allowed himself a slight chuckle "just think, in a year or two he may be piloting a Mech for us. What was his name again?" The med-tech held up a small hand-held computer to the Codex bracelet on the patients arm "Star Colonel Aidan Pryde of the Falcon Guard's." 


	2. Where do I go from here?

Phoenix Rising, part two.  
  
Com-Star command centre, Tukayyid City, Tukayyid, Free Rasalhague Republic,  
  
Star Colonel Aidan Pryde sat handcuffed to a chair. One side of his face was covered with bandages where the skin-graphs had repaired the burns made by the fire in his cockpit. He wore a set of coveralls similar to those worn by MechWarriors over their coolant-vests.  
  
The door behind him opened and man wearing the uniform of a Demi-Precentor walked round and sat on the chair before him "Hello Star Colonel Aidan Pryde, my name is Demi-Precentor James Van-Peters, and I am here to de- brief you. Do you have any questions before we begin?" Pryde looked at him "Arf I have questions Demi-Precentor. Am I a bondsman, and what happened to the Falcon Guards?"  
  
Van-Peters took the question in his stride "Yes, Star Colonel, you are a bondsman of Com-Star: You will be given a bond-cord as soon as you are released from hospital. As for the Flacon Guards, as far as we know they made it off planet without further losses. You may be interested to know that you killed or disabled over a dozen Mech's during your defence of the landing zone, and you damaged over fifteen more."  
  
Pryde stared blankly ahead "We still lost. We do not control Terra and we now have to abide by a fifteen year truce." Van-Peters looked him straight in the eye "It's 'they' lost, 'they' do not control Terra now Star Colonel. You are now a member of Com Star 'We' won, 'we' still control Terra, which is where 'you' are going. Your be sent to the Sandhurst military academy for a fuller de-brief, then you will ether be assigned to a Coms-Guard unit or the teaching stuff there."  
  
Pryde looked at the floor "I lost Demi-Precentor Van-Peters, not just my former Clan." The Coms-Guard officer looked at him "The Clans may not hold Terra, but you will still get to go there. They tell me you will be the first bondsman to be sent there. The rest are being kept here on Tukayyid. Think your self lucky, you may even be allowed to pilot a Mech into battle again."  
  
Pryde allowed himself a weak smile "Aff, when you say it like that, I am indeed 'lucky'". 


	3. New friends

Phoenix Rising, part three.  
  
Sandhurst military academy, British Isles, Terra.  
  
Aidan Pryde starred in wonder at the buildings before him. Sandhurst had been the centre of the old Star League Defence Force academy. It was here that Alexander Kerensky had been trained, and where his son, Nicolas Kerensky, founder of the Clans, would have been trained if not for the actions of a madman: Stefan Amaris had been ale to capture Sandhurst with the minimum of damage, and over the years, Com-Star had bee able to re- build the ancient buildings to their former glory.  
  
Pryde's 'minder', Com-Star Adapt Simon Clearwater, lead the way into the officers quarters. The former Star Colonel's living quarters where luxuries by spartan Clan standards, but where considered 'average' by the academy quartermaster. The Colonel took a moment to examine the new uniform he had been given: it was that of an Demi-Precentor in the Coms Guards, but it still had the emblem of Clan Jade Falcon on the shoulders. The bondcord on his wrist was the only true sign that he was an outsider.  
  
A knock on the door brought him back to the real world "Enter" he commanded, straightening his uniform. A tall, white haired man with only one eye entered "Greetings Star Colonel Aidan Pryde, my name is Anatasius Focht, Precenter Martail of the Coms Guards. I bid you welcome to this most honoured place." Pryde saluted the head of the organisation of which he was now a member "I thanks you, Precenter Martail Focht, I doubt every new arrival is greeted in such a way." Focht smiled "Quite true, Colonel, quite true. But then again, so few of our new arrivals have such a history as you. You will be pleased to know that the doctors have certified you fit to pilot a BattleMech, and we have a selection of OmniMech's we have been able to salvage from Tukayyid. Adept Clearwater will take you to the hanger this afternoon so you can choose one."  
  
Pryde brought him self to full attention "Dose that mean I am to be given a combat posting?" Focht shook his head "I am afraid that that will never be possible. ROM, for reasons of its own, has seen fit to inform your former Clan that you died defending the Landing Zone on Tukayyid. You are no to leave the academy without escort. It is not that we do not trust you, be we dare not risk you being recognised by the other bondsman." The Precenter Martail pulled a small knife from his belt "Now, Aidan Pryde, I have one last action to perform: Your right arm please."  
  
The MechWarrior raised his arm and Focht cut the bondcord with the knife "You are from now on a full Demi-Precentor in the Coms Guards, with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities therein. Your duties are to train our cadets in Clan tactics and customs. You will be given a place in the Sandhurst defence regiment. Adept Clearwater will remain with you until you are settled in and know your way around."  
  
Focht went to leave, the turned back to Pryde "One last thing Colonel. I thought you might like to have this." He handed over a small wooden photo frame; inside of which was a photo of a young woman in a Clan field uniform. "It came with your Clans Batchall. We where able to crack you encryption by the time your Clan was leaving Tukayyid."  
  
Pryde looked at the photo of MechWarrior Diana, his daughter. 


	4. Back in the hotseat

Phoenix Rising, part four.  
  
Sandhurst military academy, British Isles, Terra.  
  
Aidan followed Adapt Clearwater through the massive Mech hangers near the academy proving grounds. Almost every BattleMech ever built was represented in the cavernous building, from an original run Mackie to a state-of-the- art Clan Warhawk OmniMech, Aidan had never seen some many Mech's in one place.  
  
Clearwater stopped in front of a bay containing a star of Clan OmniMech's. There was a Mad Dog, a Hellbringer, a Sommoner, a Timber Wolf and a Gargoyle. Clearwater turned to his charge "These are the Mech's from which you can choose. They are the only fully functional Clan Mech's we have that are un-assigned. You can take your pick of Inner Sphere models, but I thought you would want a Clan Mech."  
  
Aidan walked backwards and forth along the line, finely stopping in front the Hellbringer "I will take this one. What weapons configuration is it set to?" Clearwater tapped some commands into his note-puter "According to our records, it is currently in the primary configuration. We can have it changed to any you like, or, if you wish, you can customise it." Aidan shook his head "Neg, the primary configuration is fine by me. When can I take it out for a test run?"  
  
Clearwater shrugged "Now if you wish sir. I will inform the range-master and get into my Cataphract and join you." The Adapt walked towards a small office at the end of the building and retuned with a pair of neural-helmets "We never leave neural-helmets in a Mech. We have had occasions where drunk of depressed cadets have tried to steal a Mech and go for a trip into town. We lost a Star League ere-Atlas to that a few years back. We had to destroy it before it did too much damage. In the end we had to send an entire assault-company after it."  
  
Clearwater despaired off into the maze of Mech's. Aidan climbed up into the cockpit of his new Mech and started it up. The security system had been disabled, but without a neural-helmet, it would be impossible to get the Mech to do anything but fall over. He felt the same thrill when the Mech's fusion reactor started up as he did the first time he sat in a Mech, decades ago on Ironhold.  
  
A Tech with a pair of eliminated wands directed him to the exit to the proving grounds. Clearwater was already there in his CTF-3D Cataphract. His ever-calm voice came over the radio "Ok, there are a series of targets, some show up in only inferred, some only on your Mech's sensors. The idea is to get cadets used to using more than just their eyes to aim with. The range-master has set it to the highest level of difficulty. We will be going through a holographic re-creation of the attack on Unity City by the Star League under General Kerensky. I often wonder where the range-master gets such a strange séance of humour. Ok, let us begin."  
  
Two hours later, and Aidan was mentally and physically exhorted. The simulation had been the closet he had ever been to real combat without the danger of being killed. He sat on his Hellbringers foot and let the sweat poor off. Clearwater walked over with two bottles of electrolyte-rich sports drink, on of which he handed to the former Clan warrior "They taste like warm-piss, but they help." Aidan took a sip, and agreed that the taste did leave a lot to be desired.  
  
Clearwater sat down next to him "So, Demi-Precentor Pryde sir, what are you going to teach our young cadets?" Aidan had to think for a minuet "I will have to start with simple Clan tactics, then move on to Clan Trials and rituals, give them a well rounded understanding of the Clans."  
  
Clearwater looked round to make sure that none was listening "Be careful around the more religious types. Some things have changed in ComStar, but some of the people have not. Their are groups that do not like the fact that ComStar failed to take over the Inner Sphere. They can be dangerous." With that, the Adapt walked off to the showers, leaving Aidan with his thoughts. 


	5. Class time

Phoenix Rising, part five.  
  
Sandhurst military academy, British Isles, Terra.  
  
Aidan stood in front of a class for the first time: the number of people he was asked to teach amazed him. Clearwater sat in the corner to keep an eye on things. The only thing he could do was start "Well then, my name is Demi- Precentor Aidan Pryde, and until recently I was a Star Colonel in Clan Jade Falcon. I was captured on Tukayyid and made a bondsman, and now I am here to teach you about the Clans." He started to pace back and forwards.  
  
"Now first of all you must understand the Clan concept of honour: to a member of the Clans, honour is every thing, be it personal, the honour of their unit, or the honour of the Clan. In order to increase personal honour, a Clan warrior will be willing to take on an opponent much more powerful than they are. To win honour for their unit, they will be willing to attack any target. For the honour of the Clan as a whole, a Clan warrior is willing to die."  
  
He looked at the faces before him and stopped pacing "The Clans also abhorred waste and use a process called bidding to decide how much force to use to attack a target. The various unit commanders will get together and look-over the defences that they will be going against, then each will bid their unit to complete the task. Then, the commanders start to bid away units, sometimes starting with an entire Trinary, and ending up bidding away individual Mech's or Elemental points."  
  
Over the next two hours he have the class a crash-course in Clan tactics. He as drained by the time the last of the Cadets had left and Clearwater walked up to him "You did well, Demi-Precentor Aidan Pryde. I have seen teachers freeze-up when they face the entire year for the first time. From now on you will be teaching smaller groups, and things should get easier."  
  
Aidan looked at his assistant "Where are you from, Simon Clearwater?" The Adapt smiled "Here, Terra. I was bourn in Nepal and I come from a line of Ghurkhas: my family has served in first the British army, then the Terran Hegemony army, the Star League Defence Force, and finely the Coms-Guards. I was assigned here after damaging my back during a battle with pirates on Main Street in the Lyran Commonwealth. I am well enough to pilot a Mech in simulations, but I, like you, am considered un-fit for combat." The Coms- Guards officer sat down.  
  
Aidan needed a brake "Is there any chance of seeing a bit of Terra this weekend?" Clearwater looked happy "Aff, Demi-Precentor Pryde, I think I can arrange that." 


	6. Security

Phoenix Rising, part six.  
  
ComStar First Circuit Compound, Hilton Head Island, North America, Terra.  
  
Aidan Pryde and Simon Clearwater walked through the grounds of the ComStar command centre. The spray from the see settled on them like sweet, glistering in the bright sunlight. Pryde still didn't understand why they where there: They'd spent several days visiting places like Unity City and the Kearny-Fuchida research station, but then Clearwater had received a phone call, and they had taken the first flight here.  
  
"What are we doing here Simon?" he asked as they entered main building. The Adapt shrugged "Precenter Martail Focht just said that there was something big happening and he might need some 'help'. I have known him for a long time, and when he says something 'big' happening, he means 'monumental'." Clearwater lead Pryde down corridor after corridor, deep into the seemingly endless maze that was the home of ComStar.  
  
Finally they came to a door marked 'Precenter Martail', and Clearwater knocked politely. The door swung open on it's own, revelling Anatasius Focht sitting behind a massive oak desk at the far end of the room. The greying MechWarrior stood "Welcome, please come in. have a seat." He motioned to two large leather chairs. Focht leaned back in his own chair "There is going to be a meeting soon, and I would like the two of you there as 'security'. The time has come for ComStar to shake off the old mysticism and work to help the Inner Sphere, not hinder it." He rubbed his eyes "But, alas, some members of the First Circuit, as well as a large number of regular ComStar personnel, are so engrossed in the old ways that there is bound to be trouble. I know I have the full support of most of the First Circuit, and about two-thirds of ComStar, but the rest may cause trouble. I need the two of you to guard the door two the council chamber. Do not let anyone in without my express permission, and if I signal you, come in with your weapons drawn." He pulled two slug-throwers from a draw in his desk and handed them over.  
  
The Precenter Martail stood up and straightened his uniform "I do hope you don't need them, but better safe then sorry." He led Pryde and Clearwater out of the office and along a corridor to the council chamber "Wait here and keep guard. I will signal your wrist-coms if I need you." The massive oak doors opened and Focht stepped through.  
  
After the doors had closed, Clearwater turned to Pryde "Like I said Aidan Pryde, something monumental." The former Clan Star Colonel examined the gun Focht had given him "Do you believe there will be trouble with the more extreme elements of ComStar?" Clearwater nodded "I'd put money on it." 


	7. Beginning of the end

Phoenix Rising, part seven.  
  
Sandhurst military academy, British Isles, Terra.  
  
In the end Pryde and Clearwater where not needed during the split between ComStar and the faction that became known as Word of Blake. They returned to Sandhurst, and Pryde continued to teach ComsGuards Cadets about the Clans.  
  
All things considered, Aidan Pryde fitted into the ComsGuards very well: the similarities between his new home and the SLDF of old made him feel at home, while the les-strict atmosphere was better suited to his maverick tendencies. Simon Clearwater continued to act as his assistant, and the two men became good friends.  
  
The one thing that Pryde took any interest in outside of his duties as a teacher was intelligence reports on Clan Jade Falcon. He was able, after a fashion, to follow MechWarrior Diana's career. He never spoke about his daughter, but kept the photo of her that Precenter Martail Focht had given him on his office desk. Pryde was beginning to feel happy with his life, but in 3058, Word of Blake struck at Terra.  
  
Pryde moved his Hellbringer across the cratered parried ground, followed closely by Clearwater's Cataphract. A Word of Blake ON1-M Orion tried to stop them, but was hit by a barrage of laser and PPC fire from the two lighter Mech's. It fell, trailing smoke. The radio crackled "This is command to all units: Word of Blake forces are moving across the proving grounds. All forces converge on the Mech hanger." Clearwater sighed "That's the second attack this hour. We can't hold them off much longer." "Aff Simon, Aff. We have lost half our BattleMech's and armour to them, and they seem to have a near endless supply of new Mech's to send against us."  
  
The two heavy Mech's rounded the Mech hanger and found themselves on the flank of a vicious battle: An entire Assault battalion of Word of Blake Mech's where squaring off against what remained of the academy training regiment. Pryde engaged a Stalker, while Clearwater helped take down a Thug. The battle raged for over an hour, but the defenders where in the end able to push the Word of Blake forces back.  
  
Pryde surveyed the damage: he was now the highest-ranking officer left in the ComStar forces, but all that remained of the once proud regiment was a company of mixed Mech's. He found Clearwater's Mech lying on the ground; it's entire left side shot-off. He keyed open his radio "Simon, are you ok?" "Neg Aidan, I am not." His friend's normally jovial voice was racked with pain "I think I broke my legs when I fell." Aidan called for a med team to pull the Adept from his Mech.  
  
The doctor who assessed Clearwater's wounds called Pryde back over a hand- held radio "His legs are broken Demi-Precentor Pryde, and he has a bade case of neural-feedback. It will be a long time before he pilots a Mech again, if ever."  
  
Aidan Pryde felt his world begin to fall apart again. 


	8. Last Stand

Phoenix Rising, part eight.  
  
Sandhurst military academy, British Isles, Terra.  
  
Pryde visited Clearwater in the academy hospital the day after the battle for the proving grounds. Both of his friends legs where in plaster casts, and his head was bandaged. Pryde sat on the chair next to the bed "Simon, you are going to be sent to the Portsmouth Spaceport. There is a DropShip taking casualty's off-planet. You will be on it." Clearwater shook his head, his voice groggy "No, I can still pilot a Mech, the doctors are just being doctors."  
  
Pryde smiled "I am sorry my friend, but you must sit out this battle. I have a more important mission for you." Pryde pulled a CD-ROM from the pocket of his tunic. "I need you to keep this safe. If you should ever come across my daughter, please give it to her." Clearwater smiled weekly "I will do ask you ask Aidan. Good luck my friend." Pryde smiled and shook Clearwater's hand "Thank you Simon."  
  
Pryde watched as the VTOL caring Simon Clearwater took off and headed towards the safety of Portsmouth Spaceport, and the weighting DropShip. He turned to look at the remains of his command: only ten Mech's where left, including his own. Before them, spread out across the open ground outside the academy was an entire Battalion of Word of Blake Mech's. He slowly punched commands into his Hellbringer's computer. He deactivated the automatic shutdown system, then locked the legs into place: this would be his last battle.  
  
He keyed his radio to the academy frequency "Company, present arms." The ComStar Mech's raised what arms and weapons they had. Pryde swallowed, and allowed his fear to drift away. "Company, FIRE!" All along the line, Mech's opened up with every weapon at their disposal. Word of Blake Mech faltered and fell, but still they kept coming. Lights on Pryde's HUD began to go out as the Mech's of the academy defence force started to fall. Within minuets, he was alone.  
  
Pryde fired off the last of his SRM's and was greeted with the sight of a WoB Guillotine falling: its head demolished. He fired his twin ER-PPC's at an advancing Atlas, and blasted its left arm clean off. The assault Mech turned and headed towards his battered Hellbringer. A round from the monsters Gauss Rifle blasted through the last of the armour on Pryde's left side, delousing the shoulder, and sending the adjoining arm to the ground. The WoB pilot razed his right arm, ready to bring it crashing down on the Hellbringer's cockpit.  
  
Pryde raised his right arm and fired his remaining ER-PPC into the Atlas's head at the same time as the fist started to fall. The beam of ionised- partials blasted clean through the head of the assault Mech, and out the back. The monster's fist continued it's downward ark, seeming to seek revenge from beyond the grave. Pryde smiled as the massive battle-fist shattered his cockpit, killing him instantly. 


	9. Last Duty

Phoenix Rising, part nine.  
  
Sharpsburg, Blair Atholl, Jade Falcon Occupation Zone, 27 Feb 3065.  
  
Precentor Simon Clearwater stood patiently during the meeting between Khan Marthe Pryde and General Adam Steiner. The recent sees fire between Lyran and Jade Falcon forces had given him the chance he needed. He stood in the shadows as Adam Steiner and Archer Christifori left the meeting room. The next person to leave the room was the one he was weighting for: Star Captain Diana Pryde.  
  
He slowly stepped from the shadows and caught her eye. She span round, drawing her pistol "Who are you, and why are you here?" Clearwater smiled "Relax Diana Pryde, my name is Simon Clearwater, and I am here to deliver a package that was placed in my care several years ago." He slowly took the CD-ROM from his pocket and handed it to the Star Captain. "Now, if you don't mind, I must be off." With that, he walked away.  
  
Later that night, Diana Pryde sat in her quarters and played the CD-ROM. the face that appeared on the screen was that of her father. The image smiled "Hello Diana: If you are watching this, then my friend Simon Clearwater has been able to get it to you, and I am dead. This will not be a shock to you, but what will be is that I did not die on Tukayyid: I was pulled from the remains of my Mech and made a bondsman of ComStar. I was sent to Terra to teach at he Sandhurst military academy. At the time of recording this, it is 3058, and Word of Blake forces are invading Terra. I will not survive the battle that will take place tomorrow. There are only ten MechWarriors left, and there is no way we can be victorious against the Word of Blake forces set against us."  
  
"I have spent a lot of time thinking of you, and I have been able to follow your career through intelligence reports. I am proud of you, and all you have accomplished. I wish I could tell you this all to your face, but that is not to be. All I can say is this: you are my daughter, and I love you. You may not understand these words, or why I say them, but they are true. I wish you luck and success in your life. Goodbye, Diana." The image faded. 


End file.
